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Vryolakas
The Vryolakas is a form of vampiric creature from the Republic of Macedonia related to the Vrykolakas. They are created when a cat or dog jumps over a body before it’s buried. They can also be created when someone dies from murder, suicide, if one ate meat from something killed by a werewolf, if someone splashes wine on the face of a corpse, or when an evil magic user dies. They are only active from 10 pm until morning and are weak to sunlight. They hunt humans to drain them completely of blood. They often have a compulsion to pour wine over their own faces, some believing they do this…
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Vrykolatios
The Vrykolatios is a form of vampire from Santorini, Greece similar to the Vrykolakas. They eat their victims alive and chew all the way down to the bone. They only stop feeding when the victim dies. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire Mythology. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2017.
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Vrykolakas/Vrykolakes(pl.)/Timpaniaois
The Vrykolakas is a creature from Greek myth related to the Vrukolak of Dalmatia and the Vryolakas from Macedonia. It was believed that every Greek clan had one Vrykolakas. It’s possible that this was a more general term for vampires in Greek myth. They are often linked to stories of werewolves, with possible Serbian influence. They are thought to be vampiric spirits that possess the corpses of dead werewolves. As it is a spirit separate to the body, it is sometimes not seen as a form of undead. Sometimes the Vrykolakas was formed from the corpse of someone who had been excommunicated, with these Vrykolakas often being depicted as more…
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Vrukolak
The Vrukolak is a vampiric creature from Northern Dalmatia, related to the Vrykolakas. They are created when a cat or dog jumps over a corpse, or when someone is murdered without any witnesses. They first target former friends and family from life, and victims of a Vrukolak also become a Vrukolak. They can transfix people with eye contact or an unnatural screech. It’s impossible to kill them, but they can be crippled to keep them from rising again. To do so you have to cut the tendons in their legs and then nail the coffin down and drive the final nail into their hearts. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Vampire…
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Vodnik/Vodyanoi/Vodyanoy
The Vodnik is a creature from Slavic mythology. They are sometimes thought to be the ghost of a drowned child and they may take the form of a living child to lure other children in to meet the same fate. When the child approaches the deep or rapidly moving water, the Vodnik holds them down and drowns them. They may also take the form of a fish, a fish/human hybrid, a coin in the water, a floating log, a large fish, a fiery-eyed monster, a human-faced seal, a giant frog, or an old man with green hair and beard. They lurk at the bottom of bodies of water and drag…
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Vlkodlak/Volkodlak
The Vlkodlak is from Serbian legend. They starts out as werewolves, being humans who could turn into wolves without any additional supernatural abilities. After they die as werewolves, they rise from the grave as a Vlkodlak. They resembles a drunk person with skin flushed red like blood. They exist in this form for seven years and drain the blood of the living. After these seven years, they become normal humans, which will turn into a Vlkodlak again upon its death. A Vlkodlak can also be created if someone sees a werewolf and survives, which guarantees they become this after death. They can also be created by eating sheep that has…
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Vjestitiza/Veshtica
The Vjestitiza is a vampiric witch from Slavic myth in Montenegro and Serbia. They appear as old women, but may take the form of a blue ball of light. They can be recognized by facial hair, sharp teeth, and prominent bones. They use magic with a wand and may grow bat wings after becoming Vjestitiza. They prey on children and cannot attack the elderly. They can shape shift into various animals such as hens, flies, and black moths. They often hunt alone and may form covens. They drink blood and may rip out their victims hearts. After taking the heart and liver from a victim, they can schedule when and…
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Vilkacis
The Vilkacis are from Latvian mythology. Its name means “wolf eyes.” They are created when someone speaks against God publicly. When this person sleeps the darker part of them separates into the Vilkacis. In this form they spread disease and kill others. They can be killed as easily as a regular wolf but are significantly smarter. Citations: Maberry, Jonathan. Vampire Universe: The Dark World of Supernatural Beings That Haunt Us, Hunt Us, and Hunger for Us. United States, Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2006.
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Versipellis
The Versipellis are an old form of werewolf or wolf man. The name comes from Latin meaning “skin changer” or “turn coat.” They aren’t seen as inherently evil, and their lycanthropy is simply considered to be a condition. They were judged solely on whether or not they prey on humans. Oftentimes they were described as werewolves who grow fur on the inside of their skin and flip it inside out when they transform. Citations: Ananikian, Mardiros Harootioon, and Werner, Alice. Armenian [mythology]. United States, Archaeological Institute of America : Marshall Jones Company, 1925. Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers,…
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Vermillion Bird/Zhūquè/Suzaku/Meng Chang Phoenix/Su-Zaku/Ling Kuang
The Vermillion Bird is a creature that was initially a Chinese symbol and was later adapted into Japanese myth. It is one of the Shijin along with the White Tiger, Azure Dragon, and the Black Tortoise. It’s associated with the South, the color red, fire, and summer. It was thought to represent heat, passion, and love, and was also often connected to the Ogura-No-Ike pond. It resembles a large bird with big wings and a long tail, covered in bright red and orange feathers, and these features typically lead to this creature being related to, and confused with, the Phoenix. It has the associated mansions (these being associated with the…
